In a lawsuit filed on Friday, the photographer accuses Richards of walking up to him on the street a month ago in a “menacing manner....with closed fists,” punching him in the face and smacking him down to the pavement where he “proceeded to kick [O'Neal] numerous times, directing the blows to [O'Neal's] arms, hands and camera.”

O'Neal claims the August 25th assault caused “great mental, physical, and nervous pain and suffering” and he is demanding an unspecified amount of money for damages and medical expenses. The suit includes no details on what may have sparked the alleged whooping, and calls to Richards' representatives have not yet been returned.

The actor suffered a career blow of his own when he went on an racist tirade at West Hollywood's Laugh Factory in 2006. The usually jolly comedian was reportedly devastated when video caught him spitting out the “n"-word and other offensive comments to two hecklers in an outburst.

Friend Jerry Seinfeld was none too thrilled about the 2006 incident, saying he was "sick over this" and that "Michael is also sick over this horrible, horrible mistake." He was present on The Letterman Show when Richards publicly apologized about the incident shortly after the footage was released.

Richards said in his apology, "For me to be in a comedy club and flip out and say this crap, you know, I'm deeply deeply sorry."